Page 62 of The Rebel's Prize

[Yes. Yards. And a gate,] he confirmed, and Chloe blew out a breath of relief before she could help herself. The noise sounded loud in the empty corridor, but she doubted anyone else could hear. Still, she headed for the door as fast as she dared, pushing through just as she heard Deandra's voice again, growing louder, and the click of a door down the hall.

She rushed through the exit and shut it behind her to find herself in some sort of yard behind the theater. She didn't wait to see whether anyone had noticed this time, just picked up her skirts and ran to find the others.

CHAPTER14

When Chloe had first left Lumia, pursuing Deandra more on instinct than a well-thought-out plan, she hadn't really considered what she would do if she found her. Far easier to let the soldiers do what they were trained to do.

They were so well organized that it seemed to take no time at all. As soon as the performance ended and most of the audience had left the building, the squad of mages and sanctii moved in while Chloe, Lucien, and Imogene stayed in the inn, getting updates from Octarus and Ikarus. The theater's owner put up some initial resistance but gave in quickly enough. It took just about an hour to transfer the whole troupe back to the barracks. While the prisoners were being organized, the three of them changed into their uniforms, updated Silya, and then waited in the mess.

Half an hour later, Captain Ilveut reported that the members of the troupe had been secured in separate rooms around the barracks, watched over by sanctii. Deandra and the man Octarus had identified as the illusioner were locked in two of the three cells of the barracks’ small brig, where they could be watched more closely. So far only three of the others had been identified as having magic: a blood mage who seemed to be the troupe's equivalent of a guard but who had offered no fight when faced with a squad of Imperial soldiers, an earth witch who claimed to be a cook and healer, and another illusioner, a younger woman, who could only be a year or two out of whatever Academe she had studied at. Their names had already been sent back to Lumia for confirmation of their talents. If they had studied at an Academe anywhere in the empire, they would be known.

"Which leaves us, sir, with how you want to proceed?" the captain asked when she'd finished relaying all the information.

Lucien waved her to a seat. "Pour yourself some tea, if you want it, and we can discuss what happens next."

Captain Ilveut looked grateful for the chance to rest a minute. Lucien let her drink, scribbling rapidly in a small notebook. Whatever he was writing, his attention was fully focused on the notes, the bond revealing only determination and focus, no hints of concern. His Truth Seeker mode, perhaps. He showed no ill effects from having maintained their disguises for hours, thank the goddess.

Eventually he put down his pen. "I think we should start with the nonmagical members of the troupe. We can't be sure that what they tell us will be true with the memory magic, of course, but they seem the most likely to choose to tell us something if they know."

"I agree," Captain Ilveut said.

"You can't interrogate them all tonight," Chloe protested. "There's what, nearly thirty of them?"

"They won't take too long. I just need to talk with them briefly. Show them a Truth Seeker is involved. If anyone knows something and wants to talk, there's always a chance they'll crack fast. But if not, then it won't hurt to let them consider the prospect of more Truth Seekers back in the capital until we've dealt with the others."

His voice was cool, almost detached, and the bond felt almost...distant. As though he was deliberately trying to keep her separate from this. She'd rarely seen him in full Truth Seeker mode. Out of his loyalty to his judicial oath of confidentiality, he'd never talked about the details of his work with her and Charl. She'd been able to tell when he was dealing with something difficult—he became distant and preoccupied—but that was different to seeing him in action. It would have been strange even without the complications of the bond.

But he was there to do a job that he did better than almost anyone else in the empire. Even if his magic could be foiled, he had years of experience in interrogating criminals. She had to stop thinking like a worried wife and trust him. Not least because he outranked her, and there was nothing she could do to stop him anyway.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she offered.

For a moment, she caught a flicker of images of her, standing somewhere in a dark corridor, face pale, eyes huge, but they dissolved again before she could identify where she was.

"No, not for this part," he said. "You and Imogene may as well get some rest."

Chloe was expecting Imogene to protest, but she just nodded. "That's sensible. We have long days ahead of us."

"You won't try Deandra without me?" Chloe asked.

"No. You were the one who saw her in Lumia. You know her better than me. It will be helpful to have your assistance. But there is no need for you to...."

He hesitated, and suddenly she understood what she'd seen. His memory of her outside Charl's cell. He was trying to spare her, not put her back in an environment that might trigger all that old pain again. She didn't know whether to be simply pleased at his concern or annoyed that he thought her fragile. Simpler to just accept, perhaps, that in this case, he was probably right. She would be most useful speaking to Deandra, and to do that, she needed her wits about her. She should rest.

"Then I'll wish you good hunting, Major," she said, pushing her chair back. "Come find me when you need me."

* * *

Chloe startled awake just after dawn as the barracks began to stir. The heavy treads of booted feet thudding outside the room she and Lucien had been assigned echoed the thump of her own heart as it took her a minute to remember where she was.

Lucien lay beside her, though she didn't remember him coming to bed. How much sleep had he had?

"I forgot the damned wards," he grumbled, screwing his eyes shut tighter as though trying to deny he was awake.

"Do you want me to set them now?" An aural ward would dull the sound enough for him to go back to sleep.

"No." He rolled over on his back, grimacing. "If the barracks is waking, then I'll be needed again."

"You need rest."

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